Source: Daily Mail, By Ashley Collman For Dailymail.com and Associated Press
- A pipe bomb went off in an underground tunnel linking the Times Square subway station and the Port Authority bus terminal Monday morning
- Police have taken one man into custody, who was wearing the homemade explosive
- The suspect has been identified as 27-year-old Bangladeshi national Akayed Ullah, who has been living in the U.S. for seven years
- Former NYPD Commissioner Bill Bratton said the suspect ‘supposedly was setting the device off in the name of ISIS’ and that it was ‘definitely a terrorist attack, definitely intended’
- CNN reports that the bomb detonated prematurely and that if it had gone off as intended the damage could have been catastrophic
- The FDNY says three other people reported to local hospitals for minor injuries like ringing in the ears and headaches
- The incident happened just days after President Trump sparked demonstrations across the world by recognizing Jerusalem as Israel’s capital city
- One of the largest demonstrations took place in Muslim-majority Bangladesh
Pictured above is the ID photo the suspect was carrying around with him at the time
A Bangladeshi national in his 20s has been taken into custody with serious injuries after a suspected pipe bomb he was carrying malfunctioned and exploded prematurely inside a Midtown Manhattan subway station Monday morning.
The explosion happened around 7:20am, in an underground tunnel linking the Port Authority Bus Terminal to Times Square. The underground tunnel is a major thoroughfare for workers during the morning rush hour.
The suspect, identified as 27-year-old Akayed Ullah, was found injured at the scene and rushed to Bellevue Hospital. He was wearing what appears to be a homemade pipe bomb attacked to his body with velcro and zip ties. Authorities say Ullah is talking to investigators at the hospital.
Three other people also reported to local hospitals for minor injuries like ringing in the ears and headaches.
At a morning press conference, current NYPD Commission James O’Neill said that the suspect ‘did make statements’ but that they are not going to comment on them yet.
There are reports of a possible terror attack in New York City
Port Authority remained entirely closed off on Monday morning at 9am. Above, the entrance at 8th Avenue and 41st Street
Firefighters at 42nd Street and 8th Avenue on Monday morning after an explosion in the Port Authority bus terminal transit tunnel
An NYPD police officer stands in front of gathered fire fighters outside the Port Authority terminal as commuters walk around them
Panicked commuters piled on to escalators to get out of the station after the explosion which occurred just after 7.30am
An NYPD van parked outside the Port Authority entrance at 8th Avenue and 41st Street on Monday morning
An area of several blocks was in lockdown immediately after the incident, sparking commuter chaos and confusion among others trying to navigate the busy Manhattan streets
Armed NYPD officers at the scene on Monday morning await instruction after the suspect was taken away
An ambulance near the scene of the explosion on Monday morning. The only reported injured person is the suspect
Former NYPD Commissioner Bill Bratton told MSNBC’s Morning Joe that the suspect ‘supposedly was setting the device off in the name of ISIS’ and that it was ‘definitely a terrorist attack, definitely intended’.
At a morning press conference, current NYPD Commission James O’Neill said that the suspect ‘did make statements’ but that they are not going to comment on them yet.
Though it’s still early in the investigation, New York City officials say it was definitely an attempted terror attack.
‘This was an attempted terror attack and thank God the perpetrator did not achieve his ultimate goals,’ Mayor Bill de Blasio said.
CNN reports that it appears the Subway was not the intended target of the pipe bomb, and that it may have went off prematurely.
They also learned that the device was homemade and could have caused catastrophic damage if it went off as intended.
Commissioner O’Neill said that they have obtained CCTV footage of the attack, but they have not detailed yet what it shows.
As the bomber’s ID was released as that of 27-year-old Akayed Ullah from Brooklyn, police and reports descended on the home where he is believed to live
The scene near the Port Authority Bus Terminal on Monday morning as police and firefighters worked amongst commuters
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo and the city’s Mayor Bill De Blasio gave a press conference at around 9.30am to say there was no outstanding threat
A fire fighter grabs equipment from his trunk at the scene of the explosion on Monday morning
The subway at Port Authority was closed for several hours after the incident. The bus terminal has since reopened
Not long after the explosion and despite a large police presence, tourists took photographs on 8th Avenue which was uncharacteristically free from traffic because of the incident
An armed officer stands at the corner of West 42nd Street between police vans and cars
A street vendor tows their food cart away from the scene as foot fall decreases because of the attack
A strong police presence remained at the scene in the hours after the incident. The Port Authority terminal was reopened at around 9.30am, two hours after the blast
